


Mind the Gap

by MajesticMoments



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: ... - Freeform, But also TFP, Kinda pre-TFP, Mentions of the cake from TLD, Post TLD, Sherlolly - Freeform, Sherlolly-sorta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 01:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9692762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajesticMoments/pseuds/MajesticMoments
Summary: Hope was a fruitless endeavor. But he hoped unlike he’d ever allowed himself to. [TFP, leading up to the 'i love you' scene, Sherlolly-ish]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this pretty quickly. Let me know if there is any confusion. 
> 
> I'm going to assume there was at least a couple of weeks between the implied birthday cake scene at the end of TLD and the infamous meeting between John and Eurus with that cliff hanger ending. 
> 
> Parts of this set between those scenes. 
> 
> Some extra notes on this short fic:  
> \- If you haven't seen TFP in a while, or don't remember, maybe re-watch the second trial where Sherlock, John, and Mycroft are solving the case with the three brothers. There is a point when the Moriarity recordings say "Mind the Gap" which is what inspired this.   
> \- Culverton reference, just a name drop, but he's the villian from The Lying Detective, in case anyone has forgotten... 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the scenes referenced to. They belong to ACD and BBC Sherlock. This is my interpretation.

Hope was a fruitless endeavor. But he hoped unlike he’d ever allowed himself to.  
  
“You know, you didn’t have to get coffee.” She mentioned, as she held the hot cup in her hands. A welcome warmth through her gloved fingers as they waited near the tube entrance at the street level.  
  
“Bit of a thank you... for the cake.” He clarified, his own cup in hand.  
  
“Mm.” Humming in response, as she took a sip. Standing in the chilly morgue for half the morning generally kept her cold, even long after leaving. Didn’t help that Sherlock texted her to come out for the remainder of the day for a case. Not that she wasn’t happy about it, but it was still a bit cold out and she hadn’t warmed up from this morning's autopsies.  
  
“And also… for the… Culverton incident.” He further clarified. Avoiding her gaze then. He did that now, avoided looking her in the eye when under her scrutiny. Especially when they talked about certain habits of his, or when he was a bit not good.  
  
Her mouth went into a straight line then. She understood his reasoning. He’d explained it to her. Doesn’t mean she wasn’t worried all the same. Even from the corner of his eye, he knew the look she’d have on her face. It’d be the same from when he approached her with the idea to begin with. He had almost reconsidered then. Almost.  
  
“Well, that’s done with, right?” She asked, not really knowing how to proceed. It was a bit of a sore spot between the two of them. Taking another sip from her cup, yes, coffee, was a delight right now.  
  
He only nodded in affirmation, drinking from his own cup. He would make an effort to make it up to her in small ways. Coffee, one of the _small ways_.  
  
“Won’t be repeating that again. Wasn’t all that pleasant.” He rocked a bit on his feet. _Awkward_ , was the only word he could come up with for this moment.  
  
“I imagine not, no.” He knew she wanted to pursue the conversation more, but that was enough for now. She’d already said her piece. Several times actually. And he’d already made his promises. Both verbal and the silent ones.  
  
“So Lestrade’s got a case across town. An easy one, but still, lots of moving parts.” He started to explain.  
  
“Sherlock,” John's voice called out as he eventually jogged up from behind them, “Sorry, just had to drop Rosie with… oh, Molly, hi!” John’s eyebrows shot up briefly as he noticed Molly standing there before Sherlock, obviously not expecting her.  
  
Sherlock, speaking before she could, “Well, lets get going, shall we. Already running a bit late.” Walking down the steps, his coat billowing after him, John and Molly looking on at his abrupt departure.  
  
John and Molly looked to one another briefly, Molly giggling a bit before saying, “Hello, to you as well, John,” as they followed suit down the stairs to the tube.  
  
Sherlock was already waiting when they caught up. His coffee already gone. Molly on the other hand, reluctant to part with the warm beverage drank it slowly as she sat down on the bench where Sherlock stood. Listening as Sherlock brought John up to speed.  
  
The rickety sounds rippled through the station, alarming them to the arriving train.  
  
“As I was saying, the case Lestrade’s come upon…” Sherlock raising his voice above the noise. But was interrupted by the intercom’s announcement.  
  
" _Mind the gap."_

Sherlock's hand suddenly shot out to Molly, catching John Watson's eye. Sherlock's hand hovering for a bit, outstretched to Molly who still sat on the bench. Slowly she put her hand in his as he helped to pull her up. There was a slight smirk on Sherlock's face as John observed the two. Sherlock, holding Molly’s hand a bit longer than expected, only letting go once she looked up to him.  
  
" _Mind the gap."_  
  
Her eyes looking to the speaker for a moment. A dawn of realization spread across her face as she smiled softly. She looked back to Sherlock, suppressing a chuckle, as she remembered another day. Another case. With a man named Howard, train obsessed with the funny hat, that had a girlfriend.  
  
The three walked forward to the open car door, Sherlock repeating the phrase, “Mind the gap,” as he motioned for Molly to enter the car, John and Sherlock following after.      
  
All this transpired before John, who didn’t understand the context, and could only look on questioningly as both Molly and Sherlock smiled, still in a private joke.

Apparently, he missed something.

......  
  
_Mind the gap._  
  
Damn words.  
  
Sherlock didn’t understand his mind at times. The way it brought forth memories within seconds at the most inopportune moments. It was uncalled for, a distraction.  
  
Obviously, the phrase, _mind the gap_ , a play on words as they watched the non-guilty parties fall to a wrongful demise. John and Mycroft taken aback by that twist. It wasn’t a surprise though. Shouldn’t be. That Eurus would choose this plan of action, to condemn the two brothers to a fate not their own, but for that of their brother who had committed the crime.  
  
What _was_ a surprise, though, was the way Sherlock's heart seemed to plummet on its own accord when he heard the Moriarity's voice state the phrase over the intercom.  
  
" _Mind the gap."_  
  
A commonly heard expression, yes, but uttered by a deceased man that always seemed to haunt his mind. Unrelenting. A virus.  
  
Sherlock trembled slightly for a second. He hadn’t thought of _her_ throughout this ordeal. She was unimportant to the matters at hand. Until now, as the phrase alone brought forth memories from two different occasions. From two different cases. Two different afternoons. When she was present for both.  
  
_Mind the gap._  
  
The thought persistent. An open book, unshelved, somewhere in the depths of his mind. The idea planted. He’d be lying if he wasn’t a bit concerned.  
  
Surely, it had to be coincidence. Moriarity’s recorded clips. That particular phrase. But what did they say about coincidences….  
  
He put the nagging thought aside. She wasn’t _here_ , after all. There was no way for it to be a connection.

 _Soldiers_ , John had said. So he soldiered on. Eurus shouldn’t know. About those afternoons many days ago. About the way Molly chuckled as they rang Howard's doorbell. The way they smiled to one another, at the absurdity of the man's obsession.  
  
And then, their conversation. That was seemingly private. They were alone. They had to be.  
  
_The one person that mattered the most._  
  
But even as Sherlock, John, and Mycroft finished the second trial. Even as Sherlock reminded John not to let Eurus distract him. Even as Sherlock walked into the next room and made his deductions.  
  
The thought lingered.  
  
Hope was a fruitless endeavor, this belief, only confirmed once Mycroft flipped the coffin lid for him to see.

And again, his heart plummeted.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope that made sense. I'm half-awake, half-asleep, with lots of work to do. But sometimes ideas won't leave you alone until you get it out. 
> 
> This came while I was re-watching TFP the other night and that moment when Eurus tells Sherlock to condemn the guilty yet drops the other brothers instead, there is a Moriarity recording that says "mind the gap." And that, reminded me of the The Empty Hearse when Sherlock and Molly are solving cases and end up at the train guy's house who has the doorbell of the recording with the same phrase. I don't believe they're related, but I think moments can be a bit scary when something reminds you of something else that may be a bit personal.


End file.
